Police file report after dog shoplifts from store

In a bit of fun, the Clinton Police Department filed a police report about the shoplifting incident. (Photo credit: Clinton Public Safety Department)

Most of the time, Cato is a housedog — spending his lazy days hanging out on the couch and napping. But early Wednesday morning, Cato managed to wriggle free from his leash, says his owner, Holly Darden, something the Husky has done several times before.

“When he runs, I just have to let him go until somebody catches him,” Darden tells FOX Carolina.

Though Darden knew Cato would eventually be captured, she never could have guessed her dog would not only be caught, but also arrested for initiating a crime spree.

This time around, rather than just wandering about town, Cato was caught red-pawed stealing tasty items from a Dollar General store near his home. The handsome Husky was recorded on closed-circuit television nabbing dog food, treats, beef bones, and pig ears from store shelves.

Crafty Cato is shown in the surveillance footage walking through the automatic doors of the dollar store around 9:38 a.m., then bounding through those same doors with his spoils. Staff was initially none the wiser, and the bow-wow bandit was left to bury his loot nearby.

“We didn’t know it happened because he just snuck in with the customers,” Dollar General store manager Anastasia Polson explains.

But when Cato returned to the store twice more that morning to continue his crime spree, employees definitely took notice.

“We had to lock the door to keep him from coming back in,” Polson says of Cato.

Cato’s canine kleptomania landed the clever pooch in hot water with the law. Police even filed a report before taking the four-legged thief into custody. Law enforcement brought Cato to the local pound, where he was soon reunited with a very surprised Darden.

“My dog was shoplifting,” Darden says, giggling in disbelief.

Apparently Cato’s shoplifting is motivated by something other than hunger.